The Santa Barbara Museum of Art Is Going to Sell McCormick House

••• The Santa Barbara Museum of Art intends to sell 1600 Santa Barbara Street (at Arrellaga), a.k.a. McCormick House and home to the Ridley-Tree Education Center. “The decision was we’re either going to invest in programs and people, or we’re going to invest in this building,” museum director Amada Cruz told the Independent. “And we made the decision that, and this was really mostly led by the board, that it’s really more important to invest in our people, in our programs, because old houses are really hard to maintain, and the cost is just going to continue to go up and up.” As for when the property might go on the market, a representative told me: “We are currently relocating educational supplies and equipment, and emptying McCormick House of records and materials accumulated over the last 25 years. Once that is completed, we anticipate putting the property on the market. The exact timing is not yet clear, but will be determined by our board and advisors.”

••• “Tenants who are evicted for a renovation will have the right to return to their homes at no more than a 10% increase in rent, the Santa Barbara City Council decided Tuesday. […] The ordinance also calls for a licensed construction expert to verify that the work cannot be reasonably accomplished in a safe manner with the tenant in place and that the proposed work requires the tenant to vacate the unit for at least 30 consecutive days. In addition, property owners would have to wait at least a year before evicting tenants if they purchase a property.” —Noozhawk

••• “The latest 2028 LA Olympics plans don’t include venues in the Tri-Counties [….] The 1984 Games included the use of Ventura County’s Lake Casitas for the rowing and canoeing competition, and UC Santa Barbara hosted one of the three Olympic Villages.” —KCLU

••• KEYT is going to run a segment at 6 p.m. tonight looking into the theft of the red shoe on Highway 101. If anyone happens to watch it, and it provides any answers, let us know….

••• “Santa Barbara County is exploring how to change the rule that prevents visitors from swimming in the local reservoir [Lake Cachuma] while still maintaining its status as a water source for the region.” —Noozhawk

••• “Santa Barbara Superior Court Judge Michael Carrozzo has agreed to resign and accept a severe public censure amid allegations of misconduct, according to a state agency overseeing judicial conduct. […] The panel contended Carrozzo drafted correspondence with a letterhead making it appear as if he was an attorney, and falsely stated he represented his then-judicial secretary whom he later married.” —Noozhawk

••• “Santa Barbara County Animal Services released an interactive lost-and-found map this week, which can help reunite community members with their lost pets.” —Coastal View News

••• “UC Santa Barbara has purchased the empty lot at the corner of El Colegio Road and Camino Pescadero in Isla Vista to build housing for graduate students, postdocs, and researchers in the physics department.” —Noozhawk

••• “Santa Barbara Duplex Has Been Damaged by Vehicles Six Times [over the years]. City considers temporary and permanent barriers after an SUV slammed into a home on Canon Perdido Street last month.” —Noozhawk

••• “Self-Storage Facility Proposed for Hollister Avenue in Western Goleta. […] The story poles outline a proposed 202,920-square-foot self-storage facility at 7780 Hollister Ave., which is currently the site of a parking lot. The site is next to Westmont of Santa Barbara, an assisted-living facility, and across the street from the Ellwood Mesa butterfly grove.” —Noozhawk

••• “The Pea Soup Andersen’s building in Buellton might be bulldozed if a recently proposed multi-use development project gets approved. The property, including the restaurant and parking lot, was purchased for $4.95 million in May 2024 by longtime local developer Ed St. George under SBID, LLC. The adjacent Pea Soup Andersen’s Inn, which has a different owner than the restaurant, remains open and will not be included in this project. The proposed project includes a mixed-use building with commercial spaces on the ground floor along the street frontages and residential units on the upper floor. It offers 125 for-sale condominium units.” As for the rendering, apparently “the Avenue of Flags Specific Plan mandates Art Deco architecture for the project.” —Edhat

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